The San Francisco call. [volume], March 26, 1907, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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Sleuth Has Adventure With Carload of Be%mies3^See Page 14
There is a pathetic side to vaudeville.
Bert Levy, the cartoonist, who has been
entertaining San Francisco audiences,
draws it and describes it in
The Sunday Catt/l
VOLUME Ct— NO. 116.
Boodle Board Born A new Dismisses Ruef 's Man Friday
Grafters Made Overtures to Third Phome Company
VISION OF DEED
BRINGS FIEND TO
CONFESS MURDER
Erland Soderberg, Gripped
by Horror, Admits He
Slew Mother
GIVES GORY DETAILS
Throws Parent Down After
Quarrel and Cuts
Her Throat
FAINTS BESIDE BODY
Stows Dread Object in a
Closet Upon Recover
ing His Senses
OAKLAND. March 26.— At
12:30 o'clock this morning, after
four hours of sweating at the hands
of Detectives Hodglcins and Flynn, Er
land H. Soderberg confessed to the
cold-blooded and brutal murder of his
aged mother. Mrs. Martha EL Soder
berg, in the kitchen of their home at
463 B street. North Oakland, on
Saturday night.
It was ..a vision of liis crime that
i-ame to him as officers of the law
narrated . the awful deed that brought
the talofrom from the cowering crim
inal. With horror clutching at hi*
heart he told it all.
Dazed with the thought of his deed
the young stevedore described the
crime— as ghastly, as horrible as any
ever perpetrated.
"YES I KILLED HER"
'•yes. J killed her." he said at last,
broken by the rolentloss cross-que*
tiouine: of the 'detrrtivo!', after they
l;a<1 pictured the bloody deed.
"h came home Saturday niprht about
twenty minutes after 7 o'clock," he
contln*-d. "and stayed around the hou.-ic
all trie evening. About 9 o'clock I had
a dispute with my mother. She was
aJw-aysi nagpring at me for more money,
and told me that I did r.ot give hr:r
cno<igh. I called, her names, and we
had a terrible qu.'irrel. T became po
angry that I did not know what I was
doing. I grabbed her by the shoul
ders, t-hook her end threw her to the
kitchen floor. She scream*-*! for help.
1 choked her.
"Then I grabbed a email kitchen
knife that was lying on the table. I
hacked at her throat, then slashed it,
and the blood spurted out op me. She
struggled frajiticrfily and T cut her
several times In the abdomen and on
the leg.
"Then I fainted away.
"Wnen I came to I wa* lying In a
pool of. blood, and her dead body was
lying beside me.
"I picked the body up, , got some
towels, washed the "blood off it as much
as I could, wrapped Jt in blankets and
rtood it up in the closet.
SLEPT SOUIVTJ LV A KTEHWA RD
"Then I cleßnea the blood from my
own clothes, mopped up the floor, lit
a fire In the stove, burned up the
towels and went to bed.
"I slept soundly all night long and.
in fact, overslept an hour Sunday morn
ing-. I was* supposed to be up at haJf
r»ast 6, but I did not wake up till half
past 6, when I frot my breakfast and
went over to the city to my work as
usual." _
This borrlbl* confession of the gr*w
i«om* matricide cam« at the endof, t
dramatic recital" of^ttae crime as the
detectives imagln«d It. After hours of
queFtlonin? and crossquesUonlns b&4
failed to rorce Soflerbers: Into V con
fession, Hodgkins and Flynn turned -.to
trie young "prisoner and told him the
«tory of the , murder an they conceived
it, a«Bnrlnfr him that they had proof to
PubstaAtiate the facts and send him to
the fraJlows.
Sod erbers: listened nrr\'OUßb', twftch-
Inir from Hde. to side" as the recital
progressed, but 'there was no slgrn of
hysterla,"no evidence of sorrow for^the
deed he had done.
The detectives had practically de-
Kpaired of Becuring'\a confession by
the time the story was ended and they
knew- there vti no eye-wltness,- and !t
w«s a trapric climax trhen the boy
finally looked up and said:
•1 did it."
The San Francisco Call.
INDEX OF THE
SAN FRANCISCO CALL'S
NEWS TODAY
TELEPHONE TEMPORARY Sfl
TUESDAY, MARCH 26. 1907
WEATHER CONDITIONS
YESTERDAY — lUin; »«xinsoin temperature,
60; Tnlnlmnm trmperatorr, 54.
FORECAST TOR TODAY— Cloudr; possibly
light «ho»rerB; cool In the taornias; li;ht north
west trind. *- Page 8
EDITORIAL
6an Francisco Is nmJerjoins or about to under
go forrrnment by committee. .-. P«*e 6
Too mucb prosperity breeds cold fret. Pare C
It Is do looser a qwstlon of bow mucb has
be rot. but bow did be get it? " Pa«e 6
GRAFT SCAXDAI/
Grand Jury heart about attempt to bold up
United Statei Independent Telephone Com
pany. - '. • Pa*e 1
A. K. Detwiler. inilietrd telephone magnate,
rrssalus In biding and Toledo Hisiws* asso
ciates make plans to protect bis San FrMnciuro
francbUe. Ptr« I
Board cf Superrisors. actine under sbadoTr of
bif stick, drop Myrtlle Orf and - Alexander
O'Grady from the city ' 6 payroll. Pa.*« I
Buperrlsors, in «ll?regard of protent tbtt
paper fcas not legal circulation, award printing
contract to Tost. Far« 2
Abe Ruef* •-t:od<-n defire to nt.in'l trial in
restaurant cases is prompted by- some- one
blghcr up. " 7 "'; P«r« 2
Judge Dunne, annouueioj; bir loss of confi
dence In tbe prubalion law, orders fuat tiTe
yoang e-ffendcrs muct stand trial. Pa*e 14
Drunken tuon in Spanish lodging-bouse shoots
bellicose intruder and tronads another man with
a eword. \u25a0 . \u25a0 Fagre 14
Hugh G^ Sbaug. orgauiser of the railwar mail
clerks, <H»a)!s*ed fruoi postal ferric*. Pas« 9
; Superri*or« «3pc!de to ren»o»e tbe restriction on ;
j tLe bciri't of CUkk A builditi;*. - Page 8,
\u25a0 ' Suj»rri«>rs are urged to rescind trolleT prirl
• le?e of Unlt»»d Hailroadz and not to grant
j franchise .for crcsstotm" l!n<*. . ?a*« 14
1 li.' X. -Ryan, well-known railroad niaosger. '
<llrs at !i]k liotue in Oakland after a lingering
illue«>. Page^lJ,
Emporiusn closes deal for a new building on.
\u25a0the old «Ue. ' ss ' i -"-' • -Paa;«-*
SUBURB AX \^
ErUad Sodrrberg coofff«» njurder ef age^
raotber in ' Oakland. - - P*r» 1
VToPteni r«iific arid- Southern Pacific • r»ich an
amicable settlement in the fight of Gonld crowd
for franchises along southern shore ''of Oakland
water-front. * . • Page 4
AJamcda County Soi>erTisors clash orer <roe»-
Uon cf bear 7 cxpenditnree ,t«T roads. ' Pa.fe-4
Yontb charged with robbery .ef .fire, men In
Oakland saloon acts as bis own tttorney: at pre
liminary examination. ' - .- \u25a0', Page 4
Mrs. Myra Darden'i plea for^ temporary. •!'\u25a0
many . denied by Judge Waste. Par« 4
A. C ' Bartlett, \u25a0 « cnceescful Chicago business
main, tells State Unirewlty students that pres
ent-day ptatidards in the " world of trade, are
blgh and tbat sra f ( api»ar« tbe ronre bideous
becam«e it stand* vnt yirldly. against , » back
ground of honesty. Hi Ptpe 9
SuTsiaenio HiTcr islands CooJcd by tee
breaking vt l»t«i jNI rieb farm lsndt -lairjige.!
to the exteW cf roiUJons. y Page 3
DOMESTIC
Peiree evplainr why be •hsred San' Franci«co
•bip^wDTii a fee wiiile rTrenenUng ' th»m . and
tbe Government at Tb» ilsgo". . Fag« 5
Member* of tbe Thaw jury bellere White's
f Uyer to be f»dp at : \u25a0 tb«» present time, P»*e 5
Western psscenger officials object to »l"wrr
train time. ' Page 6
Rnomanisn Gorcrnment blames ISusiis ' for
agrarien riot^. .. ••% Pa** 6
-Fra ur^ order* tr*«ps to Morwco and demands
full satisfaction • for tbe ansisslnatlon ff- Df.
Slaucbamp. 'Page S
SPORTS
Bolonwn wins * nose rictory \u25a0 orer the badly
ridden Supreme Court' at EroeryTHl*". .Page 8
' English fpn r t«n» > n belleTe "Gurner" Mot r can
bold bis . own with any b»arywelght In
America.. .Pag* •
Manager ]>>ng turns down tbe blg-I'agse aspira
tions of Oafiln, Berrod and Schofi«ld. Pag« 8
. rope-Hartford-oidMnoblle. . r»re fr<nn . tos - An-
Sflw to Sao Fr»D<if«ro f«r KJf>oo • s|<je will fy>
etaried rm Thursday. Tigt 8
Dlek'Hylcod « 4 to 5 farorlte OT»r-Tnnmpsnn
for tonlgbt'i twenty-roand boxing contesL P.. S
LABOR
Coolre*. CnJ"t) Nn." 44 to. rot' on 'an important
•m^ndment - at next . regular meeting. , Page 7
MARINE „, •\u25a0•'• v ~-' • ... I- '
Treasury . Department will ' ».««n<l six rerenue
euttm this *etM»n; to prrtent seal poiehln- In
Berfajs Sea; tbe naty, will send It* crnieer* end
Japan and Itumia- will . t^oC two . erufwr*
each. Page 9
MIXING
Condition nf Eutira m»n»j markets glres rife
t" ftelllng orders fnr Nernda mining ; shares awl
price*' t*lW . ' l Pag* 7
SOCIATj , . <^
Wedding of Prof ew>"r \u25a0 Jerome Landfleld and
rrlnresß Mcba . Lob&Boff-Rcs{OTrkr is celebrated
a.t- Canset in elaborate 'msnnnr. Page 6
'THE £M-L$
BRANCH OFFICES
Subscriptions and Advertise-"
ments will be received in San
Francisco at folio wing of f ices:
* IKI FILLMORE STREET
Open " until ' 10 j o'clock " every" night.
818 VA!f NESS ; AVBNUB
' Parent's . Stationery..' Store. ;
SIXTEENTH « AND r MABKBT STS. : ,
' • - Jtckson's • Branch.
S3S HJUGHT STREET
Christian's \ Branch. \u25a0
; .-: 108«;-.T r Ai.BNCTAi STRKBtI;'- '
- Rothschild's \u25a0 Branch."'^.:. ;
1-'"ibsi. church: street _-', -
;. > v Geort:e ; Prewitf s Branch.
*200"FILL.MORB STREET
Woodward's , Branch.
\ :san;;frA^
Yesterday's Developments in teh Graft Situation
1. Witness testifies that: Ab^
companitei^as^ic^
2. Louis Glass- arrested -upon arrival -frtmi Sacramento by Sheriff:
O'Neill, but later released, on bonds. : v 'v
3. '' Supervisors, acting under, the big < stick; cut C erf and O'Grady; Ruef
henchmen, from \ the city payroll.} ;
Detwiler Hides on
His Way West
Plans to j Saye
SPECIAL/ DISPATCH TO IjHE
TOLEDO^Qhio, Marcli^2s:^Allsorts;of
rumors-are;iu circulation hercltomghfcas^to"
the whereabouts; of j\ . fc: Detwiler ? the
wealthy Toledaii who; is-iudictedCoii thir-l
teen counts f or >b r i bery \u25a0 at • Sa n \u25a0 Franci sco,
but thus; far ho tangible clewrhas)beeii{ob^
taineoV thafemighfe^
It is stillstouti\^mamteinbd by" his ibVo'thci^i
George jK^D^
in^tliis city; last Friday. haTinfflarrived at
2 :30 p^ m : from /N e w rkl anti^ l^avi^gl for.
the' West at 7 o'clock the same, 'evening;
Purthei\ sthel brotheVisay stthe^indicted inagT;
CONTIJVtTED <{.V- PAGE^.^COLUMWi*
Gathering 'Em Up
Ax Drops and Myrtile
Cerf Loses Easy Job
When BigfStibk Swings- 1
; Under; thcT^hadow of t the^big (stick and
after; tHeirovholesale confessions^; no longer
i ring: th e ? seiryiceslof ;^^JsimplyJvbe^
cause >iHeU know t^;in)ich, .the, Board vof
[Supervisors
|tuoii s , ec onbirry: Sy e&terday^ ] anH^epariated
:Ruef^smaJi#nd^^Mvrtil^
ander O'Gracly from the city's .payroll. {
Cerf,!'because"of tlie- favor of 'the Ciirly
Boss, has drawn $300 a month as chief of
.with au outraged -public,- took a second rap
cowTiinrBlS|roxfPA6i^^co^TOiytJ»;AyDcr
•4i '. Abram Ky Detwiler, millionaire, indicted for bribing Supervisors,
goes into hiding oh way West from Toledo. \
5.^ City^Attorney ßurke offers to co-operate with Langdon in attack"
\- ing legality of franchises secured through bribery.
6. M^ en behind Ruef see k to check bribery exposures by diverting at
tention to the French resta urant cases.
United States Corporation
Offered Hold=Up Franchise
Petail& Told to G^and Jury
Testimony given before the Grand -Jury yesterday
showed that after Ruef and his coin hungry Board of
Supervisors had pouched the bribes handed out for fran
chiseslyy the Pacific States and Home Telephone com
panies they, were preparing to sell the City a third
time "to the United States Independent Telephone
jCompany. A;a
Samuel Jacoby, agent of the United States Inde
pendent! Company, contributed " this and other testimony
against \u25a0Riief- and the Supervisors. -
aiV The-tjompany Jacoby represents did not take the ini
tiatiyeUn \u25a0: she: proposed steal. That, as in most of the
other big - corporation- ti^rnsscti<sns , which debauched the
Supervisors^ iwas' the work of < Ruef;
'/. ; •:. Willing J to -pay the city what-it deemed a fair price
for securing Ja franchise/ the United States Independent
<Comp^^'l^d^not\i)een;;lpng; in the field before it learned
,tliat-;tHe; privilege bad been secured > irregularly by the
HomelGpmpany and that it would beQuseless to compete
.with the : influences then existing.
FIGURED^ FRANCmSE WORTH $1,000,000
Dr. Ferdinand Butterfield, who was intrusted "vrith
the , mission of securing -the franchise for the United
States Independent, Company, estimated that it would
be worth at least $1,000,000 to the municipality. He knew
from experience that " the bidding of competitors bad
forced the price of the Home Gompany:s franchise in Oak
land^to $35,000 and in .\u25a0'Berkeley"^ to $48,000., On this basis,
Butteriield^reckoned that; $1,000,000 was a very reason
ablei'estimate for the privilege in San Francisco — a muni
cipality which ; was essential to the success of a large com
pany, operating on the Pacific Coast and which was
regarded by competing telephone corporations as being
the key to their proposed' field of enternrise:
"VTOen Butterfield'finally learned that the Home Com
pany was getting its franchise in San .Francisco, for
$100,000 ;he was appreciably suprised, until he received a
letter frohi Ruef making definite overtures to him about
Jike pHyileges that could be secured by the United States
IndeiDendent; Company .
, Jacoby, as "outside man of the company, was acquaint
ed with" the contents of this letter from Ruef and in the
coiirsei)f ;time came into possession "of all the plans out
lined by the latter. .
NOXD^ICULTY, IS RUEF'S ASSURANCE
j Ruef "gave • positive assivrance that there would be no
• The UniteckStates Independent. Company- was ex
ceedingly anxious for the franchise, but it refused -to do
•business&vitli^Ruef, *;aiid>the':negbtiatibns;\nili:lim':eixded
Ruef ; s name figured >re^eatedly in the questions fired
at Jacoby ;before the Grand .Jury yesterday. Jacoby f s
te*stimpny;cbyere'd more than 'twenty pages of typewritten^
\u25a0-manuscript; .and it was : announced by -the graft pros
ecutors last r mght that it went a long, way toward further
Company, ; bankers and brokers of Los Angeles, who
handled the securities of the^ Home Tele^oneCcoiipany,
was 'another^ witness before the Grand Jury yesterday.
Heney aiidXiangdon^questroned:^A<3ams rclosely'about Det
>^er^s^c6imections j with ; th^fcorppratipn and about the J.
Can we .talk with the dead ? Dr. Isaac
X: -Funk's startling opinions, --after an
investigation of. years, are set forth^in
ah article to appear in
The Sunday Call
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
CONTINUED-- OX fPAGiti" 2, COLUMNS 1 AND J